MEXICO CI/KR RESPONSE FOR S/CT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 MEXICO 000474 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR S/CT S GAIL ROBERTSON STATE FOR A/S SHANNON STATE FOR WHA/MEX, WHA/EPSC STATE FOR WHA GSPROW STATE FOR EB/ESC MCMANUS AND IZZO USDOC FOR 4320/ITA/MAC/WH/ONAFTA/GWORD USDOC FOR ITS/TD/ENERGY DIVISION NSC FOR DAN FISK E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON SUBJECT: MEXICO CI/KR RESPONSE FOR S/CT REF: STATE 6461 ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Critical infrastructure protection (CIP) is a priority for Mexico. The U.S. and Mexico have already established a framework for developing a common approach to CIP. Because Mexico borders the United States, U.S. domestic agencies, including DHS, Northcom, and others have studied aspects of CIP in Mexico at length, and should be consulted in order to obtain a complete picture. Based solely on an internal Embassy analysis, Mexico's energy sector, key land, sea and air ports of entry, and border water management are the main areas of interest for the purposes of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP). The 2005 Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) of North America established a common approach to security to protect North America from external threats, prevent and respond to threats, and facilitate low-risk trade. Mexico has established several working groups to evaluate and improve the protection of critical infrastructure within its territory. ¶2. (SBU) The working groups correspond to the eight sectoral groups that compose Mexico's critical infrastructure: - Energy (e.g. Storage and Generating Facilities and Distribution Networks) - Telecommunications (e.g. Telecommunication Networks) - Transportation (e.g. Ports of Entry) - Water and Dams (e.g. (Hydraulic Infrastructure Bridges) - Public Health (e.g. Epidemiological Surveillance) - Food and Agriculture (e.g. Animal Health and Epidemiological Surveillance) - Cybernetic Security (e.g. Communication and Information Networks) - Strategic Facilities (e.g. Physical Protection of Strategic Facilities) End Summary ¶3. (SBU) Critical infrastructure protection is a priority for Mexico. The United States and Mexico entered into the U.S.-Mexico Border Partnership on March 22, 2002 which provided both countries with the basis to develop the Framework of Cooperation for Critical Infrastructure Protection along the border. Mexican Critical Infrastructure -------------- Energy -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Mexico provides 12% -15% of U.S. daily crude oil demand. Most of this volume is supplied from Mexican offshore fields in the Bay of Campeche. Much of the Bay of Campeche production is blended in the Takuntah Floating storage offloading vessel (FPSO). Final shipments of Bay of Campeche crude are made through the Cayo Arcas offshore loading platform and the Dos Bocas oil terminal. Mexican shipments to the United States averaged 1500 thousand barrels per day in 2007, this represents approximately 10% of all U.S. oil imports. ¶5. (SBU) The Takuntah floating storage offloading vessel has MEXICO 00000474 002.2 OF 005 a flow through capacity of approximately 800 thousand barrels. Combined the Cayo Arcas offshore loading platform and Dos Bocas oil terminal have a total capacity of 2400 thousand barrels per day. If either of these facilities were damaged the effect on crude supplies would be significant. It is not clear from information available at Post whether and how quickly this production could be replaced, should these facilities be completly disabled. ¶6. (SBU) The Federal Electricity Commission (CFE),Mexico's national electricity monopoly, operates the 1350 MW Laguna Verde nuclear power plant on the Gulf Coast of the State of Veracruz in the municipality of Lucero. The plant is located 70 km northeast of the city of Veracruz, and approximately 700 km South Southeast of Brownsville, Texas. The plant with 2 GE boiling water reactors is currently under contract to be expanded with a third train to produce 1634 MW. The plant produces approximately 34 tons per year of high level nuclear waste, and all the waste ever produced at the facility, which has been in operation since July 1990 is stored at the plant. An accident or attack could potentially spread nuclear material to the southern United States. Ports of Entry -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Mexico and the U.S. share a 1,954 mile long border, 1,279 miles of which is a river boundary (Rio Grande and Colorado). Mexico is the U.S.'s third-largest trade partner. Over USD 1 billion dollars worth of goods and services cross this border every day. There are a total of 26 crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border. In 2006, over 4.7 million trucks, 600 thousand rail containers, 181.4 million vehicle passengers, and 46.3 million pedestrians, crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. ¶8. (SBU) The most important border crossings are: Arizona, Nogales - 289,590 trucks, 8.6 million passengers in 3.3 million vehicles, 7.7 million pedestrians Arizona, San Luis - 5.2 million passengers in 2.7 million vehicles, 2.7 million pedestrians California, Calexico - 11.7 million passengers in 6.1 million vehicles, 4 million pedestrians California, Calexico East - 307,291 trucks, 7.8 million passengers in 3.8 million vehicles California, Otay Mesa (non-commercial) - 11.2 million passengers in 5.7 million vehicles, 4 million pedestrians California, San Ysidro (non-commercial) -32.9 million passengers in 17.2 million vehicles, 7.8 million pedestrians MEXICO 00000474 003 OF 005 California, Otay Mesa/San Ysidro (commercial only) - 749,472 trucks Texas, Brownsville - 243,116 trucks, 1,055 trains, 14.1 million passengers in 7 million vehicles, 2.9 million pedestrians Texas, Eagle Pass - 1,337 trains, 8.4 million passengers in 3.6 million vehicles Texas, El Paso - 744,951 trucks, 2,449 trains, 28.2 million passengers in 15.6 million vehicles, 7.5 million pedestrians Texas, Hidalgo - 457,825 trucks, 12.7 million passengers in 6.5 million vehicles Texas, Laredo - 1.5 million trucks, 3.850 trains, 15.1 million passengers in 6.1 million vehicles (Note: Crossings listed alphabetically by state. Data listed for most significant statistics for year 2006. Passenger and vehicle tallies include busses and passenger vehicles) ¶9. (SBU) Mexican seaports ship over 105 billion tons of cargo to the United States. Sixty-two percent of Mexican seaport exports are destined for the U.S. Additionally, some imports into Mexican ports are directly exported to the U.S. via land, or are used for the assembly of finished products to be exported to the U.S. Key Mexican ports for U.S. products are: Ensenada, Baja California Manzanillo, Colima Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan Altamira, Tamaulipas Veracruz, Veracruz ¶10. (SBU) Mexico is the primary foreign destination for U.S. tourists. In 2006 10.9 million U.S. tourists entered Mexico via air, a number representing 86% of all tourist arrivals by air. The main international airport used by U.S. tourists is Mexico City international Airport (Benito Juarez). However, direct flights from the U.S. to Monterrey, Guadalajara, Leon, Aguascalientes, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and Acapulco are common. ¶11. (SBU) The National Geological Agency maintains a map of critical infrastructure with a focus on the border region. The map can be viewed at http://ftp.geoint.nga.smil.mil/nonstd/ data/countries/us/hsip/mex us border 52x35.jpg Water Issues -------------- ¶12. (SBU) The International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) builds and operates other dams, sewage treatment plants, bridges, and levees across the U.S.-Mexico border. For more information please see: http://www.ibwc.state.gov ¶13. (SBU) The IBWC built and now operates and maintains two MEXICO 00000474 004 OF 005 international dams and storage reservoirs, the Falcon and the Amistad, with associated hydroelectric generation facilities that provide power to citizens on both sides of the border. Both dams are characterized as high hazard potential dams under the classification system established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). About 98% of all water used in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, in both Texas and Mexico, is supplied from the two Rio Grande reservoirs; those releases currently total about 1.2 million acre-feet of water per year. The U.S. operates power plants on both dams that provide power to the Texas power grid. Amistad and Falcon are among the 25 largest storage reservoirs in the United States. ¶14. (SBU) A flood wave and dam break analysis concluded that a dam break at Amistad would result in the destruction of all international bridges downstream. There are 10 international bridges located between Amistad and Falcon. There are an additional 11 international bridges between Falcon and Brownsville, Texas/Matamoros, Tamaulipas that would be impacted by dam failure at Falcon. ¶15. (SBU) There are up to 80 dikes in the Ciudad Juarez area which are irregular, in that they are privately or locally built obstructions in arroyos which pass through or near the city. Most, if not all, are earthenware dams to catch runoff of rainwater. In August 2006, the Montada Dike in the El Paso/Juarez area came very close to failing. Failure of the Montada Dike would flood parts of El Paso and destroy the International Dam. The dam has been repaired and spillways have been installed, but it remains delicate. The local government in Ciudad Juarez has fought against the removal of irregular dams like Montada because it would require the relocation of populations that have established themselves in the natural flow path. Mission Involvement -------------- ¶16. (SBU) Post is directly engaged with the Mexican government on critical infrastructure issues. EnergyOff is in frequent contact with officials from the Secretariat of Energy and the state-run oil monopoly Pemex regarding protection of oil interests, especially given increased interest locally in protecting oil pipelines from domestic terror attacks. The EST section handles water issues and is the primary liaison with the International Boundary and Water Commission and the office of the Secretariat SIPDIS of Foreign Affairs directly in charge of border environment issues. The Foreign Agricultural Service in conjunction with the Economic section monitor Mexico's critical food and agriculture infrastructure. Representatives from the various Department of Homeland Security agencies also contribute to posts critical infrastructure engagement as does NorthCom via the Office of Defense Cooperation. MEXICO 00000474 005 OF 005 Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / GARZA